Italy: Mountains Spilling Into the Sea

This article was featured by Denison partner Lacure Villas, here.

Remnants of an ancient empire everywhere. Some of the world’s most famous works of art. A devotion to a simple but sophisticated cuisine that turns meals into feasts. A stunning geography ranging from snow-capped mountains to glacial lakes, from sun-dappled vineyards to the sea lapping against inviting beaches…

Yes, there are many reasons to visit Italy. If your journey takes you to the Amalfi Coast, you’ll discover cliffs and mountainsides plunging into the sea to create a dramatic backdrop for the pastel homes and lovely towns clinging to steep slopes.

The rugged scenery often demands climbs up steep staircases, but always rewards the effort with magnificent views over the waters once sailed by Ulysses and his crew. You’ll find inviting boutiques, historical sites and amazing restaurants around every bend of a winding road. 

In the fabled city of Florence, you have a more cosmopolitan experience in what was the cradle of the Renaissance and today has been voted as one of the Top 10 cities in the world to visit. Feast your eyes on world-class art and then feast on Tuscan cuisine, which uses fresh and simple ingredients prepared with exquisite skill.

Florence is made for walking excursions, with historical sites, stunning architecture, great shopping and beguiling trattoria everywhere you go.

It’s hard to decide between the Amalfi Coast and Florence when visiting Italy. Why choose? Do both in a Lacure travel experience that could include:

Day 1: Amalfi Coast

Your group might choose to stay at Villa Carla, perched on a cliffside, halfway between the historic towns of Amalfi and Ravello. It is a sprawling white three-story villa with six multilevel terraces and gardens overlooking the sea. The property is drenched in sunlight, blooming with flowers and shaded by trees, pergolas and awnings. It is a great base to explore the Amalfi Coast, including Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Ravello, and Pompeii.

Day 2: Amalfi Coast

While the Amalfi Coast is very much oriented to the sea, it is also one of the best places for hiking, with its well-marked trails.  You could follow the legendary Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei), withs its breathtaking sea views. Hike it from Agerola to Nocelle (the ancient hamlet near Positano), since it runs gently downhill in this direction. After the four-hour journey, you might take a further 300 steps down to the sea and have a cooling swim at Arienzo beach.

Day 3: Amalfi Coast

You are within striking distance of most of the Amalfi Coast’s chief attractions. You might decide to visit Ischia, the volcanic garden island, or the coastal towns of Sorrento or Amalfi, with sun-soaked piazzas. Or you might explore the volcano-doomed splendors of Pompeii, or Ravello’s gardens on high. After an invigorating day of adventure, you can return to the comforts of your villa, perhaps enjoying a final glass of a rich Tuscan red on an outdoor terrace while drinking in the views.

Day 4: Florence

Your group splits up and you and your partner opt for a private experience of Florence, staying in Duomo, a romantic one-bedroom apartment in the heart of the city. From the private terrace of your loft on the top floor  Palazzo Levi, Piazza della Repubblica, you have a wonderful view of one of the city’s great historical landmarks, the Florence Cathedral (Duomo). If the sky is clear at night, you can use a telescope to view the constellations.

Day 5: Florence

Your Lacure apartment is within striking distance of just about everything you might want to see in Florence. Perhaps  you’d like to visit Michelangelo’s David at Galleria dell’Accademia; or the vast U-shaped Palazzo degli Uffizi (1560–80), home to to the world’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art; or Museo Villoresi, which explores the world of artisan perfumery with its scent library, interactive digital exhibits, olfactory booths, and short films . . . the possibilities are endless

Day 6: Florence

Tonight you dine at Enoteca Pinchiorri, the only three-star Michelin restaurant in Florence. Enjoy a truly epic wine list and a superb tasting menu. The kitchen is run by chef Annie Feolde, known as “The Diva of Cuisine,”  who was the first female chef to earn three stars in Italy and the fourth in the world. Her innovative cuisine, created from the very best Italian ingredients, is accompanied by fine wines selected by sommelier Giorgio Pinchiorri, her companion for 40 years. The restaurant is located in a Renaissance palazzo in the heart of Florence.

Get the best of both worlds by booking a yacht charter to tour the coast of Italy and easily travel from place to place on your itinerary. Contact one of our charter brokers for more information about making your ultimate luxury travel dreams come true.

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